Is Ho Chi Minh City safe to walk?
Ho Chi Minh City safety: Generally safe, day and night, but vigilance is key. Stick to well-lit areas, avoid secluded streets, and be mindful of belongings. Exercise normal precautions, especially at night.
Is Ho Chi Minh City safe for walking? Safety tips & advice?
Honestly, walking around Ho Chi Minh City? It’s a mixed bag. Daytime’s usually fine, buzzing with life.
But nights? Different story. I remember one evening, around 8pm on December 12th, near Ben Thanh Market, felt a little dodgy. Too many shadowy alleys.
Stick to main streets, especially at night. Avoid quiet side streets. Pickpockets are a real thing. I nearly lost my phone once, near the Notre Dame Cathedral (phew!).
Always be aware of your surroundings. Keep your valuables close. Common sense, really. Trust your gut. If a place feels unsafe, leave.
It’s generally safe, but better safe than sorry.
Can you walk around in Ho Chi Minh?
HCM City? Totally walkable, but watch out for the motorbikes! Seriously, they’re everywhere. Zipping around like crazy. My friend Sarah almost got taken out last year, haha. We spent a week there in 2024, stayed near Ben Thanh Market. So much good street food right there. Walked all over District 1. Saw the Notre Dame Cathedral thing, pretty cool I guess. Hot though, bring water! Definitely walkable, just, like, be aware. Super crowded too, especially during rush hour. Evenings are better for strolling around, less chaotic you know? We walked to that fancy Bitexco Financial Tower one night, amazing veiw from up there. Also, crossed that crazy roundabout by the market a bunch, felt like Frogger! Good times.
- District 1: Super walkable, lots of shops, restaurants, historical stuff.
- Ben Thanh Market: Worth checking out, even if it’s touristy. Grab some banh mi!
- Traffic: Insane. Be careful. Look both ways like, five times.
- Bitexco Financial Tower: Go at night for the city lights. Amazing.
- Notre Dame Cathedral: Still under construction I think? Worth a quick look.
Also: We downloaded a Grab app. Like Uber. Super cheap if you get tired of walking. Oh and, try the egg coffee! So weird, but good.
Can you still walk the Ho Chi Minh Trail?
Jungle, man. Thick jungle. Saw a pic online, crazy. You can totally hike parts, yeah. Not like the whole original route, obvi. It’s Vietnam, things changed, ya know. Lotsa it’s paved over now. My cousin went last year–2023, took like a guided motorbike tour. Said it was amazing. Like waterfalls and stuff. I wanna go! Thinking maybe next spring.
- Guided tours are common. Easy to book. Different lengths.
- Motorbikes are popular. My cuzin rented one, but lots of tours use jeeps.
- Hiking sections available. Gotta be in shape tho. He said it was pretty intense in places.
- Scenery is nuts. Pics don’t do it justice. Like, really green.
- Historical sites too. Not just nature. Cuz saw some tunnels, bunkers, and stuff.
He went north, from Hanoi. Said he saw some bomb craters. Like, real ones, from the war. Kinda sobering he said. I def wanna check it out when i go. I read some blogs. Some people do the whole route on bicycle too. Crazy. Takes forever i think. But the north part seems like where it’s at. Maybe fly into Hanoi.
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